Date of Graduation
Summer 2025
Degree
Master of Science in Biology
Department
Biology
Committee Chair
Babur Mirza
Abstract
Overweight and obesity are major health concerns associated with metabolic disorders and gut dysbiosis. Treatment options such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, like liraglutide, promote weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity; however, their impact on the gut bacterial community remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of liraglutide on the gut bacterial community of diet-induced obese (DIO) mice using Illumina DNA sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. My study used twelve-week-old male C57BL/6J DIO mice. They were placed on a high-fat diet and treated with liraglutide (0.2 mg/kg) via daily subcutaneous injection for 14 Days. High-fat and low-fat diets control animals received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) injections. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, after initial treatment, and one week later. Mice receiving liraglutide lost an average of 0.85 g (−2.78%), while high-fat controls gained 3.20 g (+10.22%) and low-fat controls gained 0.56 g (+1.92%). Low-fat mice exhibited reduced diversity compared to high-fat mice throughout the study. In the high-fat group treated with liraglutide (HFL), bacterial composition was altered after treatment, with increases in Lactobacillaceae (+6.01%) and Coriobacteriaceae (+0.73%), which showed a greater increase than the control. Erysipelotrichaceae increased (+2.41%), though this was less than the increase observed in the high-fat control group (HFC). Bacteroidales (-1.15%), which decreased less than in the HFC group. However, these bacterial shifts were not maintained after the washout period. This study will help clarify how diet and host-targeted treatments alter gut bacterial communities.
Keywords
GLP-1 receptor agonists, liraglutide, gut bacterial community, diet induced obese mice, 16S rRNA gene sequencing
Subject Categories
Chemicals and Drugs | Microbiology
Copyright
© Jami Anne Bull
Recommended Citation
Bull, Jami Anne, "Effects of Liraglutide on the Gut Bacterial Community" (2025). Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 4081.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/4081
